


oh, 'you drink too much', makes me drink just the same

by mikotoh



Series: band AU (name TBD) [2]
Category: Red Dead Redemption (Video Games)
Genre: Aftermath of Violence, Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Rock Band, Bar Room Brawl, Blood, Blood and Injury, Caretaking, Drabble, Drinking, Explicit Language, M/M, Morston Week 2020, Mutual Pining, No Smut, Pre-Relationship, Pre-Slash, Red String of Fate, Sharing Clothes, Stabbing, Stitches, if u squint
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-11
Updated: 2020-08-11
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:21:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 823
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25832707
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mikotoh/pseuds/mikotoh
Summary: The aftermath of a bar fight in a loosely-defined band AU.Featuring two prompts in one for Morston Week 2020: day two, borrowing clothes, and day three, patching up wounds.
Relationships: John Marston/Arthur Morgan
Series: band AU (name TBD) [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1878640
Comments: 6
Kudos: 27
Collections: Morston Week 2020





	oh, 'you drink too much', makes me drink just the same

**Author's Note:**

> NOTE: in regards to the main band au work, you can read this as sort of a side story without any particular place in the timeline (except for being after the band takes on dutch as their manager)
> 
> i wrote something else for day 2 as part of a bigger fic im gonna be posting soon, but i realized that meant id have to post the chapters out of order if i wanted to put it up today (even if theres barely a plotline in the first place), so i decided to post it retroactively later on this week.
> 
> but THEN borrowing clothes came up when i was writing for day 3 instead anyway lmao

There was only one person who ever bothered Arthur at this time of night, and he could imagine the state they'd be in when he heard frantic knocking at his door at three in the morning.

He grumbled to himself and tried to ignore it, but when the knocks wouldn't stop he begrudgingly pulled himself out of bed.

"Alright, alright! Hold your damn horses."

However, instead of a very wasted John at his door when he opened it, as was usually the case, he was instead treated to the sight of the younger man completely battered and bruised, bleeding from numerous places on his body.

Arthur stared for a second before frowning and grabbing John by the shoulder to drag him inside.

"Jesus fucking Christ, Marston, what the _hell_ did you do to yourself?!"

John just shrugged a little as Arthur shut the door behind him, making his way over to the couch and practically collapsing onto it.

"What do you _think_ happened?"

The older man sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, walking to the kitchen sink to grab a washcloth and run it under the water.

"You can't keep getting into bar fights after every gig you play, John, just because you and the boys decided to drink half a dozen beers each."

He sat down next to John on the couch then and started dabbing at his wounds, watching him wince slightly at the touch.

"Did you walk all the way here again?"

"Had to."

Arthur just sighed again ,as he cleaned the rest of the blood off of the other man- until a large slit in the sleeve of John's shirt caught his eye.

He hesitated before carefully pushing the fabric up and over John's shoulder, only to lay his eyes upon a vertical stab wound in the flesh that was bleeding like a stuck pig.

Arthur let out an exasperated gasp as John looked away from him.

"Bastard pulled a knife on me before I had time to react."

"Goddammit, Marston!"

He tried in vain to blot at the blood but it just kept flowing out at a rate that didn't seem to be decreasing.

"You need to get stitches for this. I'll… I'll take you to the ER."

John snapped his head back around with a glare.

"I ain't got the money for that, Arthur!"

"What the hell are you gonna do otherwise?!"

"I… I dunno, can you stitch it up for me or something?"

"Are you serious?!"

"What other choice do I have?! I came to _you_ for a reason!"

Arthur started to say something else but cut himself off, pursing his lips into a fine line.

Meanwhile John was starting to look pale from the lack of blood loss, and the older man couldn't imagine he'd be upright for much longer.

After a moment to think Arthur finally groaned and got up from the couch, pointing a finger at John.

"Don't move."

It took him a bit of rummaging around in various different drawers in his apartment, but eventually he returned to the other man holding a first aid kit, a needle and thread, and a bottle of whiskey.

John took the liquor when it was handed to him and wasted no time in popping the cap off and taking a swig, as Arthur sat back down next to him and pulled out an alcohol wipe to disinfect the cut and needle with.

"What color thread do ya want?"

It was a pretty poor attempt at humor, considering the situation.

"Surprise me."

Red it was, then.

John gritted his teeth in pain when Arthur started suturing up the wound and downed more whiskey at lightning speed.

By the time the other man had finished the stitches he was practically tipsy again.

Arthur wiped his hands off with another towelette with a sigh before standing back up and heading into his room, returning a moment later with a shirt he tossed at John.

"Here. You can stay tonight, but you're out of here when I leave for work tomorrow."

"Ain't you just a gentleman."

John pulled off his now bloody and torn shirt and threw it aside, quickly replacing it with Arthur's.

It was only a tad bit big, but the feeling of it on him and the smell of the fabric still made his head spin a bit.

He'd tell himself it was just the alcohol tomorrow, though.

It didn’t take long until Arthur heard the other man snoring, at which he walked by and threw a light blanket over him on the couch before retreating back to his room.

He knew he was a fool, but John was right. Arthur was the only one he trusted when it came to things like this.

Not even his other band mates had earned that privilege, and the reason for that, well…

Arthur tried not to think about it as he willed himself into falling asleep.

**Author's Note:**

> ive had an idea in mind for a band au in the future, so this... vaguely fits into that universe? if i ever actually write it?
> 
> its not rly relevant to this drabble but the band line up i have is:
> 
> john - singer + strums a guitar sometimes  
> javier - main guitarist  
> charles - bass  
> sean - drums  
> lenny - keys
> 
> and then if dutchs there hes their manager.
> 
> arthur would be some sort of country singer whos past his prime or smth, whos decided to finally pursue his real passion by going to art school. and then him and john fall in love etc.
> 
> oh also, this is inspired by two scenes from two seperate rps i did years ago lmao
> 
> title is from the song alone, together by the strokes


End file.
